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BIDDEFORD, Maine

James Sulikowski identifies porbeagle thought to be great white shark

James Sulikowski measures a porbeagle caught with his student research team
James Sulikowski measures a porbeagle caught with his student research team

On July 4, 2017, a person fishing off the coast of Portland saw what he thought was a great white shark. He took a photo and sent it to WCSH. The station turned to the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s resident shark expert, Professor James Sulikowski, Ph.D., for help identifying the shark.

According to Sulikowski, the shark was actually a porbeagle, a species common in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Sulikowski happened to be out on the water researching porbeagles when he got the inquiry. He said the key to telling the difference between a porbeagle and a great white is a white spot on the back of the porbeagle’s dorsal fin.

To learn more about the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Department of Marine Sciences visit

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About the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ

The ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.